Motorists must occasionally remove the wheels and tires of their vehicles for service. Tires may leak air or become punctured and need immediate replacement. This may occur in the course of driving to a destination. If there is no convenient commercial or other source of service to perform this task, then the motorist is obliged to undertake replacement his or her self.
Passenger vehicles such as automobiles and light trucks are typically delivered to the retail purchaser with a spare tire mounted on a wheel and tools such as a wheel wrench for removing lug nuts or screws, and a mechanical jack to lift the vehicle to provide necessary clearance to remove the failed tire and replace it with the spare tire.
Using these items may prove difficult. For one thing, these items are typically stored in the trunk of the vehicle. Should the trunk be filled with items being transported, retrieval of the jack and wheel wrench is time consuming. Should wheel replacement become necessary under adverse conditions such as inclement weather, darkness, and the like, the entire operation becomes increasingly difficult, time consuming, and objectionable. In particular, the old, the weak, and the infirm may possibly find wheel replacement to be beyond their immediate abilities.
The automobile industry has proposed onboard jacks to overcome the above noted problems. These systems typically require modification to conventional chassis and body designs. This idea, while appealing, has not met with general acceptance by vehicle buyers. Yet the idea remains appealing. Thus there exists a need to provide such amenities while not obliging motor vehicle manufacturers to customize their designs to accommodate an amenity which is not necessarily widely demanded.